Cushioned vehicle wheel



Sept. 22, 1931. G.-VORDERMARK 1,824,520

CUSHIONED VEHICLE WHEEL I 'Fued March 3. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T as- 3.2

pawn-v,

A TTORNE Y.

Sept. 22; 1931. e. VORDER'MARK CUSHIONED YEHICLE WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1930 bull-.L

INVENTOR:

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 QVOiiDEitliiifiiQOFEiNDiANAiOEBIS, IN IANA cnsmoivnnvnnicnli if Applicatio ;n1ea-..namh a,'i9ao. sefiar$432372.

This inventionrelates to a vehicle wheelof a type that'is adapted for. carrying the loads of motor-vehicles, especially trucks, the invention having reference moreparticularly to a vehicle Wheel that is resilientsubstantial- 1y throughout or fromtheihub"tot-circumference o fthe'wheelfi y; An object of the invention is to providea cushioned or resilient Wheel which shall: be --of such construction as to have'greater. re-

siliency than that atforded by. a solid'rubber tire and yet not 'be-subjectto ruptures and consequent 'eXpense incidenta-l I to the use :"of pneumatic tires-J 1 f Another object is to provide an improved cushioned vehicle Wheel j Whichwshall' ber-so constructed. as to bestrong and noiseless in operation and. adapted to gabsorb'shocks'on uneven roads, particularly on unpaved and roughly surfaced roads." A further objectisito prmiideacushidned vehicle Wheel having a sresilientweb portion between the hub and the i'imFportiOnroF-the portion. w I p 1;

- A; still further object is"to.:provide"an':im' proved resilient vehicle wheel which shall be of simpleconstruction adapted to be man'u'v consisting also further in the novel partsand a .49 features "and .in. the combinations andv arrangements thereof as hereinafter particu larly described fandfurtherTdefinedin the ap' pended claimsf 1. m

,5 Referring to the -zaccompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a central sectionof the Wheel as preferably constructed; Fig.2 is a centralsection. of the resilient; tire and a.

novel pneumatic tube-casing integrally connec ed t re i h;.E gt3is earview .ofihe ampre fll. Wheel. on a .rediieeissale. -';-;.l? g-.. e

*mojdified ivheel-o'na radial planeand ,onafl 1 enlargedscale. L

Wheel and also anonepneumatic' tire ortread.

is a section of wheelitaken'on thc 'plane I of rotation. of the wheel; 'Fig: -5 is a front view of the front one of the pair of disksc'omprised in thewheel; Fig. 6 isa section on the plane of'rotation showing the tire andtube casing adapted to contain a pneumatic tube p ;or air bag c0rres'pondingtoan inner-tube; Fig'.:7- i's a side vietv of the type of bolt apreferably used in:construction of the wheel ;*Fig. S is'a frontlview ofthe inner tube Fig. '9 is a 6G perspective view ot a bushing preferably ,pr'ovlded m the web structure of the wheel; Fig; 10' is a front-vieiv of a slightly modified Wheel constructed substantially in accordance With the, inventionWithout'the use of a pneumaticor inner tube; Fig. 11 is a section taken; centrally onxthe plane oi irotatio'n 0f the-wheel; and, Fi ill2 isasection of-the F Si ilar reference characters in the various figures ,of'the drawings indicatecorrespondingelements or r features of :construction herein referred to -1n "detail.

Inap'r'actical embodiment of the inventioh I a suitable hub is providedwhich maybe com- :posed lot a main part 1- andra "separate'enlargingi'part '2 formed as a ring and: suitably :fixed'gto the main part, the latter assho'wn loeingisim'ply bored and "may. be fixedly sei'cure'd to" a. driving axle orshaft :or may :be appropriately .fitte d with anti-friction: bearing'ade'vices enabling the wheel toar otate -on anaxlefi Two 'disks or webplates 3 -and4 are'spacedapart onthe hub 'and'secure'd thereto; the'in'ner portion of the hub preferably being provided with a reinforcin g flange ,5 arranged against the rear disk 4 and having 11ar s 'tightly' embracing the hub; The front'diskpreferably hasahub flang 7 g ly'embra cing-the front portion ofthe hub. Each web plate hasa suitable numberl'of bolt phole's8' and the portion 20f the'hub has cor-:

responding bolt holes 9"to receive a suitable; numberof :boltswIO- 'whereb'y' the "disks are rigidly secured to the opposite sides-"respectively' ofpthe @portion; 2 ofjthe hub,ithe tfront .dis'k preferably-beino; detachable to'permit renQWaljs ori'epairs-of? farts'iof'itheWheel-web. The marginal portions'ofethe diskjhaveflared 9 guard portions 11 and 11' respectivel and adjacent to the guard portions the dis s are each provided with a suitable number of bolt holes 12 spaced apart in a circle to receive securing bolts, each bolt comprising a body portion 13 of the required length to extend as will be understood,- the disksthus being definitely spaced apart to permit movement ,of' resilient portions ofzthe wheel web between the. disks. 1

.The rear disk inlay be providedwith' studs I .The preferred: construction comprises a resilient tire 18 having a rim portion 19 ofthe wheel cushion integral withthe inner portion thereof and. provided with spaced boltholes ZOto receive the body portions 13 of the retaining or securing bolts, the tire extendin'g loosely about the guard portions ofthe disks while the rim portion is loosely embraced between the disks. Preferably the bolt holes 20 are provided with suitable bushings 21 having each a suitable opening for the body 13:.ofa retaining bolt, the opening preferably being broader in one directionthan the other to constitute a slot 22, the bushings being so placed in the holes thattheslots areradial and permitting inward movement of the cushion rim portion.- while the tireis on the ground. The rini portion 19 has web portions 23 and 24-spacedi-apart to have sliding; contactwith the inner sides of the disks respec- :tively and extending inward. and provided on their inner edges with flanges 25 and 26 that embrace and aresupported onthe hub to constitute a casing-for an inner tube, oneportion having anipple 27. The flanges 2 5 and 26".meet' and-preferably over-lap to afford protection for an inner tube' 28 which is placed in the casing to be inflated through an inflation tube 29, arranged in the nipple 27 and provided with a suitable inflation valve device 30 which may be of conventional character. The inner tube is composed of rubber as customary and may be circular transversely or may be approximately rectangularja's illustrated. The tire and riin' por 'tion" structure may be made of any suitable rubber composition and may have suitable fabric reinforcement as may be required or desired-to afford necessary density and resiliency:

:31. with nuts whereby an'annular-base plate 32 1s: secured to the disks,- the Y plate having a brake drum 33' thereom 7 ranged to loosely surround the flared guard portions 11 and 11 ofthe disks, the'ti-re havingweb portions 35 and 36 that extend be tween the disks inward to the hub, the web portions adjacent to the-tire constituting a rim portion in which'the retaining bolt body 13 isreceived, preferably in resilient bushings 21' inserted in the rim portion and composed-preferablyof rubber or an elastic rubber composition to permit slight movement of thevtire and? the rim portion and obtain benefit of resilient action of the web portions.

Preferablythe-tire ishollow so as to have an air chamber 37 therein. The tire and the web-portions that are integral therewith may be composed of any suitable rubber composition with conventional reinforcement thereinfa'ndthe chamber 37 maybe filled with suitable elastic substance if desired.

y In practicaluse, the wheel hub carries the 1' load which fOICSlJliEdlSkS shiftingly downward as. th6' Wl'l 89/l rolls'on the ground, the downward movementrhowever, being slight,

but in case the tire rolls over stones or high places in theroad the under portion of the" tire. and the rim portion rises accordingly to a limited extent and compressesthe web .portionzthat may at the time be below the hub." Thewheel iswell adapted for use on modern paved roads while adapted to absorb the shock'imposed by unpaved roads or those that may notbesmoothly surfaced.

B What is'claimedis:

1. A cushioned-vehicle wheel including a hub, two disks spaced apart on the hub'and secured thereto, the disks having flared marginal guard portions, an annular resilient rim portion arranged between the disks and having a" resilient tire integral therewith, the

rimfportion having cushioned support on the hub, the tire extending loosely about the 'flaredportions, and retaining bolts extending shiftably throughth'e rim portion and securedtothe disks.

2. Afcu'shioned vehicle wheel having a hub,

'two separate diskssecured to the hub and having flared edge portions, an annular cushioning web structure surrounding and resilientlysupportlng the hub between the disks,

a resilient rim portion: directly supporting theweb structure and having a tire integral therewith, the rim portion having resilient bushings therein, and retaining bolts shift- 7 able in the'xbushings and fixedly secured to the disks. V p l 3. A: cushioned vehicle wheel including a 'hub,twoseparate web disks secured to the "hub and having fiared'marginal guard portions, a -.rfes1lienttire extending loosely about the flared portions, a resilient rim portion integral with the tire and arranged between the disks, the rim portion having two casing sides integral therewith, and extending in ward along the disks and to the hub, the cas ing sides having flanges on their inner portions extending each towards the other I on the hub, elastic bushings set into the rim portion, and having radial slots, retaining bolts arranged in the said slots and extending through the disks and being directly secured to one of the disks, and a pneumatic tube arranged between the rim portion and said casing sides and bearing on said flanges. 4. A cushioned vehicle wheel includlng a hub,'two separate web disks secured to thehub and having flared marginal guard ortions, aresilient tire extending loosely a ut the flared portions and having an annular rim portion integral therewith, the rim portion being resilient and in sliding contact with the disks andhaving two side members integral therewith and extending inward along the disks and to the hub, bushings set into the rim portion and extending to the disks, and retaining bolts arranged in the bushings and extending through the disks the bolts being secured to the disks.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature on the 25th day of February, 1930. GEORGE VORDERMARK. 

